Lasting machine



Dec. 20, 1938. w. T; B; ROBERTS LASTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 20,1938. 7 w. T. B. ROBERTS V I 0, I

LASTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1938 s Sh ets-Sh'eet 2 D 1933; I w. T. B. ROBERTS 2,140,652 7 LASTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1938 s Sheet-Sheet 5 Fig.5.

Patented Dec. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LASTING MACHINE New Jersey Application February 4, 1938, Serial No. 188,637

- In Great Britain March 30, 1937 8 Claims.

This invention relates to lasting machines, and more particularly to machines for lasting the toe ends of shoes. The invention is herein illustrated as applied to a power-operated toe-lasting machine of the same general character as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.- 2,134,148, granted on October 25, 1938 upon an application of mine, which it is an object of the invention to improve in certain respects, but it is to be understood that in various novel aspects the invention is not thus limited in its applicability.

The machine in which the invention is herein illustrated as embodied is provided with toe-embracing wipers for wiping the toe end of an upper first heightwise of the last by relative movement of the wipers and the last and for then wiping it inwardly over an insole on the last, together with upper-clamping fingers which cooperate with the wipers to apply a pull to the upper heightwise of the last, these fingers acting as more particularly disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,138,308, granted on November 29, 1938 upon another application of mine. An object of the present invention is to afford better insurance than heretofore against displacement of the margin of the insole by the wipers in the relative movement of the wipers and the last heightwise of the last, especially if the toe and of the insole projects, as it may, beyond the bottom of the last. With this object in view, the invention, in one aspect, provides a construction such that while the wipers are positioned with their edges comparatively close to the last during a portion of the above-mentioned relative movement, the relation between the wipers and the last is thereafter automatically altered to provide more clearance between the wipers and the edge of the insole during further such relative movement and thus insure against displacement of the edge of the insole. In the construction shown the wipers are first moved heightwise of the last toward the edge of the insole in wiping contact with the upper, after which the last is moved heightwise relatively to the wipers to cause the wipers and their cooperating clamping fingers further to act on the upper, and in the course of such movement of the last the wipers are retracted lengthwise of the last to increase the clearance between their edges and the edge of the insole.

The machine shown in the above-mentioned Letters Patent is provided with means for inserting fastenings in locations farther inwardly from the edge of the insole than the edges of the Wipers to fasten the upper to the insole while the wipers are holding the upper in overwiped position, the wipers, however, being somewhat retracted from their innermost wiping positions prior to the insertion of the fastenings. A further object of the present invention is to afford increased insurance that the upper will be in a tightly lasted condition when the fastenings are inserted. For this purpose the invention further provides a construction such that the insertion of the fastening immediately follows an inward movement of the wipers instead of a retractive movement thereof, the wipers being retracted from their innermost wiping positions nearly but not quite to the edge of the insole and being then moved inwardly again to positions where their wiping edges are not so far from the edge of the insole as at the end of their first wiping movement, whereupon the fastenings are inserted. Provision is further afforded for such relative movements of the wipers and the last heightwise of the last as to cause relief of the pressure of the wipers on the upper when they are thus retracted and application of the pressure again when they are once more moved inwardly.

The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a View partly in right-hand side elevation and partly in section of a portion of a machine of the character disclosed in the abovementioned Letters Patent as modified for purposes of the present invention, showing the parts as they appear after the upper-clamping fingers have been moved down toward the wipers but prior to the beginning of the upwiping movement of the wipers;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, on a larger scale, of a portion of the structure there shown, with the parts as they appear immediately before the wipers begin to wipe the upper inwardly over the insole;

Fig. 3' is a View on a reduced scale, partly in right-hand side elevation and partly in section,

showing one of the operating cams and a lever which it operates;

Fig. 4 shows in right-hand side elevation, on a reduced scale as compared with Fig. 1, mechanism with which the machine is provided for operating the wipers;

Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating, in part diagrammatically, the positions of the wipers and of the upper-clamping fingers at different times in the lasting operation; and

Fig. 6 is a chart indicating the relative timing of the movements of different parts in the course of the cycle of operations.

As more fully disclosed in the previously mentioned Letters Patent, the machine includes in its organization a holddown 2 for determining the position of the shoe heightwise and for depressing it at a certain time in the lasting operation, a toe rest 4 for supporting the toe end of the shoe under the holddown, a pair of toe-embracing Wipers 6 movable to wipe the toe end of the upper first heightwise of the last and thereafter inwardly over the insole, a pair of fingers 8' for clamping the margin of the upper outspread over the wipers to assist in lasting the upper tightly and smoothly over the last and the insole, and" a plurality of tack-ers 10 which are moved into" engagement with the overwiped margin of the upper farther inwardly thanthe edges of' the wipers and drive tacks? to fasten the upper inlasted position; The upper-clamping fingers 8 are supported on a; bar l2 through'which they are moved, bodily heightwise and lengthwise of the shoe, this barbeing connected-by a pin l4 to a lever I fi'which' swings about a rod [8- and carries a roll 20 lying in acam track'22 which is formed in a cam wheel 24 fast 011 a cam shaft 26. Through the operationof the: lever l6, accordingly, the fingers 8 are moved lengthwise of the shoe. Their movements heightwise of the shoe are effected through links 28, only one of whichis visible in the drawings, theselinks being pivotally' connected at their upper ends to the bar l2 and at their lower ends to a short link 30 pivotally mounted on a pin 32 carried by a lever 34 which is mounted to swing about a rod 36 and carries a roll 38 lying in a cam track 40 formed in a cam wheel 42 indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1. The link 31} is provided with an upwardly extending arm 44 controlled" by a spring 46 which is mounted ona rod 48 pivoted at 50 to the lever 34, the spring bearing at its rear end against a shoulder on the rod and at its front end against a block 52 in" engagement withtthearm 44. Re-' sistance to downward movement of the clamping fingers 8, effected by downward swinging movement of the lever 34', will accordingly result in compression of the spring 46 by reason of" relative movement of the lever 34 andthelink30; In time relation to their other movementsthe clamping fingers are also swung laterallypf the shoe by mechanism including links 54 (only one ofwhich is shown) and cam-operated levers 56 and 58, as more fully disclosed in the previously mentioned Letters Patent. I v

The timing of the different operations is such that the fingers Bare first moved downwardly by the lever 34 into engagement with the insole, as indicated by the portion a-b of the line AA in Fig. 6, the lever thereafter being swung farther downwardly and thus increasing the pressure of the fingers on the insole through the compression of the spring 46, as indicated by theportion b--c of the line A+A. The fingers are then moved bodilyoutward lengthwise of the shoe by the lever l6, as indicated by the portion a-b of the line BB, and are also swung apart, to insure the spreading of the margin of the upper outwardly over the wipers .6, the fingers thus moving to positions beyond the edge of the insole and being then forced downwardly toward the wipers by expansion of the previously compressed spring 46, as indicated by the portion d 'e' of the line AA. As the wipers are thereafter raised to wipe the upper heightwise of the last they clamp the outspread margin of the upper against the fingers 8 and force the fingers upwardly while compressing the spring 46 more or less, the cam track 40 being so shaped as to compensate in part for such upward movement of the fingers, as indicated by the portion f-g of the line AA. The upper is thus subjected to tension by the upward pull of the wipers and clamping fingers thereon in the upwiping operation. After the completion of the upward movement of the wipers the last and insole are forced downwardly a short distance by the holddown 2, the upper in this operation being subjected to a further wipe and to a further pull by the cooperating wipers and clamping fingers while its margin slips more or less between the wipers and the fingers; Thereafter, as the wipers are advanced and closed to wipe the margin of the upper inwardly over' the insole, the clamping fingers are moved bodily lengthwise of the shoe withthe'wipe'rs during a portion of the movement of the wipers, as indicated by the portion c'-d of the-line B'-B. As the Wipers continue their inward movementthe clamping fingers are moved reversely lengthwise of the shoe, as indicated by the portionde' of theline B-B, and are also swungap art to apply an outward wipe to whatever remains ofthemargin of the upper over the top of the wipers and to withdraw them from over the WiperS a fte'r which they are moved downward be yondthe wipersto provide clearance for the tackers [0, as indicated by the portion h+i of theline AA. After the tackers have completed the tack-driving operation and returned to their normally raised positions, the clamping fingers are moved upwardly and lengthwise of the shoe to their starting positions, as indicated respectively by the portion 7'lc of the line AA and the portion fg of the line BB. The movements of the clamping fingers are thus substantially as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,138,308.

As more fully disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,134,148, the wipers 6 are mounted on wiper carriers 60 (Fig. 4) which are supported, through brackets 62, on a pair of castings 64 movable vertically along rods ('56 and 68, the parts associated withonly one of the wipers being visible in the drawings. The castings 64 are connected at theirlower ends by links 70 (only one of which is visible) to a lever 12 mounted on a rod 14 and connected by a link 76 to a lever 18 which carriesa roll 80- lying in a cam track 82 formed in a cam wheel on the shaft 26. Through this mechanism, therefore, the wipers are moved in directions heightwise of the last. The brackets 62 are movableto advance and retract the wipers lengthwise of the last and are operated for this purpose through links 84 by upwardly extending arms of a lever 86. This lever is operated through a link 88 by a lever 90 (Figs. 3 and 4) which carries a roll 92 lying in a cam track 94 in the cam wheel 24. For closing the wipers laterally of the shoe the wiper carriers 60 are connected by links 96, a portion of one of which is shown in Fig. 4, to upwardly extending arms of a lever 98 which is connected at its lower end by a link I00 to a lever I02 provided with a roll I04 lying in a cam track I 06 in the cam wheel 42.

In order to afford better insurance than heretofore' against any upward displacement of the margin of the' toej end of the insole away from the last by engagement of the upper therewith in the relative movement of the wipers and the last heightwise of the last, the cam track 94 (Fig. 3), in the construction herein shown, has a portion Hi8 so formed as to impart a short retractive movement lengthwise of the shoeto the wipers as the last is depressed by the holddown 2 after the upward movement of the wipers, so as to provide more clearance between the wipers and the edge of the insole. The wipers may thus be retracted, for example, about an eighth of an inch. In order to prevent any change in the relation of the wipers to each other by reason of the movements which the brackets 62 receive in thus retracting the wipers, the cam track I06 by which the closing of the wipers is effected is provided with a compensating portion formed as shown at H in Fig. 4. The relation of one of the wipers and its clamping finger 8 to the shoe at this time in the operation of the machine is illustrated by full lines on the right-hand portion of Fig. 5. After the depression of the last the relation between the wipers and the insole is such that as the wipers begin to advance and close to wipe the upper inwardly over the insole they are spaced above the insole a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the upper materials, as shown in Fig. 2. Insurance is accordingly afforded against displacement of the edge of the insole in this operation. In order, however, to cause the wipers to press the upper firmly down on the insole, the cam track 82 is so formed at I I2 (Fig. i) as to lower the wipers substantially as soon as they pass over the extreme edge of the insole in their advancing and closing movements. The portion of the cam track 94 which effects this advancing movement of the wipers is shown at ild in Fig. 3, and the portion of the cam track Hi5 which effects the corresponding closing movements of the wipers is shown at l I6 in Fig. 4. The relation of one of the wipers to the shoe at the end of such advancing and closing movements thereof is indicated by broken lines on the righthand portion of Fig. 5.

In order to insure that the upper will be in a tightly lasted condition when the tacks are driven to hold it, the construction herein shown is furth r such that the wipers arrive in the positions which they occupy during the tack-driving operation by advancing and closing movements thereof instead of by partial retractive movements thereof as heretofore. Accordingly, after the wipers have arrived at their fully advanced and closed positions, they are retracted lengthwise of the shoe and are opened, nearly but not quite as far outwardly as the edge of the insole, as indicated by full lines on the left-hand portion of Fig. 5, after which they are again advanced and closed to positions where their edges are not so far from the edge of the insole as at the: end of their first overwiping movements, as indicated by broken lines on that portion of Fig. 5. While the wipers are in these positions the tacks are driven in locations farther inwardly than the edges of .the wipers. The portion of the cam track 94 which effects such retractive movement of the wipers lengthwise of the shoe is indicated at 1 H8 in Fig. 3, and the portion of the cam track which effects thereafter the partial advance of the wipers is indicated at I20. The portions of the cam track I 05 which effect respectively the corresponding opening and closing movements of the wipers are indicated at I22 and I24 (Fig. 4). The cam track 82 is so formed as to raise the wipers slightly and thus relieve their pressureon the upper at the beginning of their retractive movement, in order to avoid any objectionable outward drag on the margin of the upper, and to lower them thereafter, just before they begin to move inwardly toward tacking positions, so that they will again apply firm pressure to the upper. The portions of the cam track 82 which thus lift and lower the wipers are indicated respectively at I26 and I28 in Fig. 4.

The machine is provided, as heretofore, with a flexible band I30 which is applied to the shoe to clamp the upper to the last around the toe exteriorly of the shoe bottom. Instead of being operated by the lever 34, as in the construction shown in Letters Patent No. 2,134,148, the band in the construction herein shown is applied to the shoe by an independent lever I32 mounted to swing about the rod 36 and provided with a roll 535 engaged by the periphery of a cam I36 on the cam shaft 26. the lever I32 are connected respectively to the opposite ends of the band by rods I38 and other parts constructed as heretofore except that there is no provision for lost motion between the arms and the ends of the band. The cam I36 is so formed that the band is applied in clamping relation'to the upper substantially at the time when Two upwardly extending arms of the wipers first begin to advance and close over the shoe bottom, so that the band will be in position to hold the upper when the wipers receive their partial retractive movements as hereinbefore described. The machine is further so constructed as to come automatically to a stop when the wipers are in their fully advanced and closed positions to permit the operator to inspect the work. In view of differences in the timing of the movements of the wipers, as compared with the earlier construction, the construction herein shown is such that the machine thus comes to a stop slightly earlier in the cycle than heretofore, the stopping point being indicated by the line sc-x, Fig. 6.

The timing of the movements of the wipers and the toe band will now be briefly summarized with reference to the chart shown in Fig. 6, the movements of the clamping fingers 8 having already been described. After having been closed sufficiently to embrace the upper closely around the toe end of the last, the wipers are moved upwardly, as indicated by the portion .a.b of the line EE, to wipe the upper heightwise of the toe toward the edge of the insole, clamping the upper against. the fingers 8 near the end of their upward movement to apply a pull to the upper as hereinbefore explained. After the upward movement of the wipers has been completed the holddown 2 is moved downwardly to depress the last, and at this time the wipers are retracted somewhat lengthwise of the last to afford more clearance for the edge of the insole without altering their relation to each other, as indicated by the portions ab of the lines CC and D-D, these lines indicating respectively movements of the wipers lengthwise of the shoe and closing and opening movements thereof. The wipers are then advanced and closed to wipe the margin of the upper inwardly over the insole, as indicated by the portions 12-0 of the lines CC and D-D, the wipers receiving early in their advancing and closing movements a downward movement such as to cause them to press the upper against the bottom face of the insole, as indicated by the portion cd of the line EE. As the wipers begin thus to advance and close over the insole the toe band I is applied to the shoe, as indicated by the portion a-b of the line F--F.

When the wipersare-at the' limit oftheir advancing and closing movements the machine comes automatically to a stop, as indicated by the line r'a:, the clamping fingers 8 having moved away from over the wipers. After the operator has assured himself that the lasting operation has been thus far satisfactorily performed, he starts the machine again, whereupon the wipers are retracted and opened, as indicatedbythe portions -01 of the lines CC and D--D, until they are nearly but not quite withdrawn from over the insole, the wipers being slightly raised substantially at the beginning of this operation to relieve somewhat their pressure on the upper, as indicated by the portion ej of the line EE. The wipers are thereafter again advanced and closed, as indicated by the portions d e of the lines CC andDD', to the'position's which they occupy during the tacking operation, in which position their wiping edges are not so far from the edge of the insole as they were at the end of their first inward wiping movements. Immediately before the beginning of such advancing and closing movements the wipers are lowered to cause them again to apply firm pressure to the upper; as indicated by the portion 9-7: of the line'E-E. Substantially as'soon as the wipers arrive in the'positions which they occupy in the tacking operation the tackers It, which are moved into engagement with theupper farther inwardly than the edges of the wipers, are operated to drive the tacks through the upper and into the insole. Thereafter the parts of the machine are returned to their starting positions and the shoe is released.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a lasting machine, the combination with wipers for embracing an upper about the toe end of a last, of means for effecting relative movement of said wipers and the last to cause the wipers to Wipe the upper heightwise of the last, and mechanism for effecting automatically in time relation to said relative movement, after the beginning but prior to the completion thereof, a different relative movement of the wipers and. the last to increase the clearance between the edges of the wipers and the edge of an insole on the last and thus guard against displacement of the edge of the insole by contact of the upper therewith.

2. In a lasting machine, the combination with wipers for embracing an upper about the toe end of a last, of means for effecting relative movement of said wipers and the last to cause the wipers to wipe the upper heightwise of the last, and mechanism for maintaining said wipers with their edges comparativly close to the last during a portion of said relative movement and for then automatically retracting them to provide more clearance between their edges and the edge of an insole on the last and thus guard against displacement of the edge of the insole by contact of the upper therewith during further such relative movement.

3. In a lasting machine, the combination with wipers for embracing an upper about the toe end of a last, of means for clamping the margin of the upper on said wipers, means for effecting relative movement of the wipers and the last to cause the wipers to wipe the upper heightwise or" the last and to apply a pull to the upper heightwise of the last by the cooperative action of the wipers and said clamping means, and mechanism for effecting automatically relative movement of the'wipersandxthe lastlengthwise of thelast after the beginningibut prior to the completion of said first-named relative movement to increase the clearance between the edges of the wipers and the edgeof aninsole on the last and thus guard against displacement of the edge of the insole by contact ofthe upper therewith.

4; In a lasting machine, the combination with wipers-for embracing an upper about the toe end of a last of means for imparting to said wipers wiping movement in a direction heightwise of the last toward the edge of an insole on the last, means for thereafter moving the last heightwise relatively to-the wipers in the opposite direction to cause the wipers further to act on the upper, and mechanism for effecting automatically after said: movement of the wipers a relative movement ofthe wipers and the last to increase the clearance betweenthe edges of the wipers and the edge of theinsole and thus guard against displacement of the edge'of the'insole by contact of the upper therewith as the last is' moved heightwise relatively to the wipers.

5. In a lasting machine, the combination with wipers for embracing an upper about the toe end of a last, of means for imparting to said wipers wiping movement in a direction heightwise of the last toward the edge of an insole on the last, means for thereafter moving the last heightwise relatively to" the wipers in the opposite direction to cause the wipers further to act on the upper, and mechanism timed to act automatically in the course of such movement of the last to retract the wipers lengthwise of the last and thus provide more clearance between the edges of the wipers and the edge'of the insole to guard against displacement of the edge of the insole by contact of the upper therewith.

6. In a lasting machine, the combination with wipers for embracing an upper about the toe end. of'a last andfor wiping the marginal portion of the upper inwardly over an insole on the last, of means for inserting fastenings in locations farther inwardly from the edge of the shoe bottom than the edges of the wipers to fasten the upper to the insole while the wipers are holding the upper in overwiped position, and automatic means for retracting the wipers nearly but not completely from over the insole after they have wiped the'marginal portion of the upper inwardly over the insole and for then moving them again inwardly to positions where their wiping edges are nearer the edge of the insole than at the end of their first wiping movement preparatory to the insertion of the fastenings.

'7.- In a lasting machine, the combination with wipers for embracing an upper about the toe end of a last and for wiping the marginal portion of the upper inwardly over an insole on the last, of means for inserting fastenings in locations farther inwardly from the edge of the shoe bottom than the edges of the wipers to fasten the upper to the insole while the wipers are holding the upper in overwiped position, automatic means for retracting the wipers after they have wiped the marginal portion of the upper inwardly over the insole and for then moving them again inwardly topositions where their wiping edges are nearer the edge of the insole than at the end of their first wiping movement preparatory to the insertion of the fastenings, and mechanism for effecting automatically in time relation to such movements of the wipers relative movements of the lastand the wipers heightwise of the last to cause relief of the pressure of the wipers on the upper when they are thus retracted and to cause application of the pressure again when they are thereafter moved inwardly.

8. In a lasting machine, the combination with wipers for embracing an upper about the toe end of a last and for wiping the marginal portion of the upper inwardly over'an insole on the last, of means for inserting fastenings in locations farther inwardly from the edge of the shoe bottom than the edges of the wipers to fasten the upper to the insole while the wipers are holding the upper in overwiped position, automatic means for retracting the wipers nearly but not completely from over the insole after they have wiped the marginal portion of the upper inwardly over the insole and for then moving them again inwardly to positions where their wiping edges are nearer the edge of the insole than at the end of their first wiping movement preparatory to the insertion of the fastenings, and mechanism for moving the wipers automatically heightwise of the last to cause relief of their pressure on the upper when they are thus retracted and to cause application of the pressure again when they are thereafter moved inwardly.

WILLIAM THOMAS BUCKINGI-IAM ROBERTS. 

